coveet



@nitrh gisten betrat @fitta HENRY C. OUVERT, OF FAYETTE, NEW' YORK.

Letters Patent No. 62,529, dated Marc/L 5, 1867 antecitlted Febumg/ 23, 1867.

IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE.

@tigt tlgrtule nimh tu it time rttets- @tout nu mating gmt ti tigt senin.

T0 .ALL WHOM I'l MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, H. C. COVERT, of Fayette, in the county of Seneca, and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in lVashing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved machine.

Figure 2, a perspective view of the washing apparatus detached.'

Figure 3, a diagram, showing the method of securing the apparatus in the box.

Lil-:e letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in the arrangement of two plane rui-bers, reciprocating in opposite directions, and having an unequal movement, connected by a suitable lever arrangement, and combined in such a manner as to produce an action upon the clothes similar to rubbing by hand.

As represented in the drawing, A is the box, the ends being set angling, as shown in iig. l. In this box lare situated the rubbers B C. v The rubber C, on which the clothes are placed, consists of two side-pieces a a,

connected by cross-pieces b b and rollers c c, which latter have a free revolving motion. The side-pieces are also provided with friction-wheels d d, which run on ways ff, at the side of the box. The rubber B is simply a board, of suitable size and thickness, grooved or corrugated on the bottom, as shown at g; and it is secured to bent arms lz h, which, at the rear end,rhave a handle, z', by which the apparatus is operated. The contiguous rubbing surfaces of both rubbers are 'made plane or horizontal. The front'ends of the side-pieces and arms a a, t It are connected by upright levers 7c 7c jointed thereto; and these levers are connected transversely by an axis, l, which is situated some distance below the vertical centre of the levers, so as to give the upper rubber the greatest stroke in action. The journals mm of 'the axis rest in bearings n n on opposite sides oi'the box, and are retained in place therein by buttons o o, which turn down over them, as shown most clearly in iig. S.

Thus arranged, the clothing is placed between the rubbers, and subjected to action. It will be secu that there is a double reciprocating action, but the stroke of the upper .rubber is greatest, on account et' the unequal leverage. Rubbers with a double reciprocating action have been before` employed, but, so far :1s-I am aware, have been connected with machinery that gives them a regular, uniform, and unvarying action, which is simply rubbing between two surfaces without capability of change or direction, or else the rubbers have been made concave and convex, whichcause the 'clothes to collectin the bottom, and give them a tendency to roll. It is.

my object to obviate these diiiiculties,iirst, by constructing the apparatus in such a manner as, in action, to approximate as nearly to thc action of'the hands in washing as possible, and subjecting the operation to the will and judgment of thc operator; and, second, by making the rubbing surfaces plane or horizontal, so that the clothes will be tint thereon, and thus be in best condition to receive the rubbing, and have no'tcndency to collect in a roll. In my arrangement it will be seen that the wholeapparatus is icxible or jointed in such a manner that the parts can be changed to many diiercnt positions; and the whole is operated bythe application of the hands tothe handle z'. Thus there is no application of mechanism, such as cranks and-wheels, which gives the machine only an automatic action. I am enabled to give a long or short stroke, at pleasure. I can produce the rubbing action in both directions, or simply in one7 by raising the upper rubber at each alternate stroke. By thus having a perfect control over the rubbers I am enabled to exercise judgment and discretion in manipulating the clothes to receive the best action of' the rubbers. I can change them from one position to `another, forward or back, as readily as if the hands were applied' to them directly, and cnn retain them in any given position for any length of time. Where the rubbers are connected with machinery that simply gives them an unvarying action the clothes are not thus under the control of the operator, but simply remain in an unchanged position till the operation is over. The employment of the plane rubbing surfaces insures a better action upon the clothes than curved ones, by retaining them in a flat position at all timos. Curved rubbers, with' a double reciprocating action, could 'not be operated in such a manner :is to change the position of the clothes, at pleasure. The unequal leverage allows the upper rubber the greatest motion, which is necessary in properly' rubbing the clothes. At the same time the motion of the lower rubber is suilicient to give thc necessary agitation in the body of water to thoroughly rinse and remove the dirt. By making the apparatus removable, as described, the stime, as well as the-box, een be easily cleaned.

I do not claim broadly giving the rubbers` opposite reciprocating motions, as I am aware that the same are not new;` but I claim, in combination with rubbers B C, having opposite reciprocating motions, and having plane rubbing surfaces, the arrangement of the jointed arms a 7L and levers 7c, made to be inserted or removed from the box, atlbleitsure,y by means -of the bearings n and buttons o; the whole arranged and operating as herein set forth.`

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY C. COV-ERT.

Witnesses:

R. F. OsGooD, J. A. DAVIS. 

